Volume 54 No. 7 SEPTEMBER 2010 May 26, 2010 EpiscopalThe Assembly “Today the Grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together.” VOLUME 54 NO. 7 SEPTEMBER 2010 contents COVER: THE EPISCOPAL ASSEMBLY 3 EDITORIAL by Rt. Rev. John Abdalah 5 METROPOLITAN PHILIP ADDRESSES HISTORIC EPISCOPAL ASSEMBLY ON FIRST DAY 8 MESSAGE OF THE EPISCOPAL ASSEMBLY 11 COMPLETED MEETINGS: WORKING COMMITTEES, ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD, AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES 13 ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE 15 HIS GRACE, BISHOP JOSEPH The Most Reverend ADDRESSES GRADUATES AT Metropolitan PHILIP, D.H.L., D.D. Primate ST. TIKHON’S The Right Reverend 17 THE DEPARTMENT OF Bishop ANTOUN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION The Right Reverend Bishop JOSEPH 24 THE ORTHODOX WORLD The Right Reverend Bishop BASIL 25 ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE BOOKSTORE The Right Reverend GOES ONLINE Bishop THOMAS 28 REVIEW: THY RESURRECTION The Right Reverend by Rev. Professor Nicholas M. Kastanas Bishop MARK The Right Reverend 28 THE PEOPLE SPEAK … Bishop ALEXANDER Founded in Arabic as 30 VISION FOR LIFE Al Kalimat in 1905 by Chris Humphrey, Ph.D. by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) Founded in English as 32 COMMUNITIES IN ACTION The WORD in 1957 by Metropolitan ANTONY (Bashir) Editor in Chief The Rt. Rev. John P. Abdalah, D.Min. Assistant Editor Christopher Humphrey, Ph.D. Editorial Board The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D. Anthony Bashir, Ph.D. The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M. The Very Rev. Peter Gillquist Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s full name and Ronald Nicola parish. Submissions for “Communities in Action” must be approved by the local Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D. pastor. Both may be edited for purposes of clarity and space. All submissions, in The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, M.Div. hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, should be double-spaced for editing purposes. 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Continued on page 10 editor’s letter Episcopal Assemblies: A challenge and an opportunity If you asked a group of priests at a Sunday- gated many of the challenges they met, and their of-Orthodoxy celebration how old the Orthodox work has been a blessing to all the participants Church in America is, you would be likely to hear and their churches. These American pioneers stories about the missionary activity of Sts. Her- didn’t wait for mother churches to instruct them man and Tikon among the Aleuts, the Greek Or- to love each other, nor did they wait to learn thodox priest who met Benjamin Franklin, or St. from others how to preach the Gospel in the New Raphael of Brooklyn, who was the fi rst Orthodox World. They lived out their vocations as Ortho- bishop consecrated on American soil. If, however, dox bishops, living among the people and car- you asked how old the Orthodox Church that is ing for them from within. These shepherds knew in America is, you are more likely to hear about and know the names of their sheep, their needs St. Tikon the Church in Christ established at Pentecost or and their challenges. These bishops multiplied the Last Supper, or from eternity in the very body the number of churches, printed books, trained of God the Word. No one disagrees that the Or- clergy, established monasteries, used media, es- thodox Churches in America, gathered around ca- tablished international ministries and charities, nonical bishops who celebrate the Eucharist, are and built schools and summer camps. In a word, authentic canonical expressions of the fullness they have done well. of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Today, diffi cult obstacles stand in the way of These bishops, some of whom themselves have the venerable and ancient churches. The Church been born in America and others who have served in Turkey has dwindled to a small fraction, with their entire ordained lives in America, represent estimates of only a couple of thousand faithful The icons of Herman and Tikon are by the hand of Fr. Luke Dingman. Courtesy of Orthodox Images: www.orthodoximages.com by the hand of Fr. The icons of Herman and Tikon are the Traditions and faith of the apostles, as well left in that whole country. Likewise, the Church in St. Herman the customs and traditions of mother churches Jerusalem, once fi fty percent of the population, in Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Tur- has only some two thousand Orthodox left. The key, Serbia, Jordan and so forth. They also have Church in Egypt struggles at the hands of Islamic experience bringing Christ to Americans and the fundamentalists. The Church in Syria adjusts to American people to Christ, knowing the trends, the schedule and lifestyle of a non-Christian so- challenges and needs of the people in this land. ciety. It is my opinion that we should not burden When dealing with issues like post-modernism, these Churches with the task of micro-managing pluralism and secularism, and their effect on mar- the Church in the New World. Authentic bishops riage and family, the “Old World” would do well to with apostolic authority and faith need to bring learn from the Orthodox experiences in America. their people to God and God to their people. These challenges are quickly exported to the “Old They need to identify their needs and respond to World” countries through television, movies and them. the Internet. Delegates from fourteen autocephalous The canonical Orthodox Bishops in America churches (churches who select their own heads) voluntarily organized themselves fi fty years ago gathered in Chambésy-Geneva, Switzerland, from in the establishment of the Standing Conference June 6 to 12, 2009, for a Pre-Conciliar Pan-Or- of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, thodox Conference. The conference was a direct or SCOBA. These bishops have successfully navi- result of a previous meeting of the heads of all The Word 3 4 The Word EPISCOPAL ASSEMBLY MAY 26, 2010 “Your Eminence, Archbishop Demetri- os, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Arch- diocese of America, and Brother Bishops: My opening remarks this morning are taken from the Vespers of Palm Sunday, “Today the Grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us togeth- er.” How wonderful and pleasing to God for all of us to meet and discuss matters related to the life of our Church on this particular conti- nent. I would like to take this op- portunity to thank the Chairman of SCOBA for his hard work to make this gathering possible. The literature which we received from Chambesy via the Greek Archdiocese of America, raises some important questions. ONE, Despite the vitality and the dynam- ic nature of Orthodoxy in North America, no member of SCOBA, not even the chair- man of SCOBA, was consulted about what was discussed in Geneva. We received rules from our brothers in Switzerland which we have nothing to do with. We have been on this continent for more than two hundred (200) years. We are no longer little children to have rules imposed on us from 5,000 miles away. Orthodoxy in America has its own ethos. We have our own theological institutions, and we have our own theolo- Metropolitan PHILIP gians, authors, publications and magazines. We do not intend to be disobedient to the Addresses Historic Mother Churches; we just want to dialogue with them and give them the opportunity to know us and understand us. We have been Episcopal Assembly here for a long, long time and we are very grateful to the Almighty God that in our on First Day theology and worship, we do express the fullness of the Holy Orthodox faith. Fifty years ago our hierarchs, may their souls rest in peace, founded SCOBA which has done a splendid job despite our exter- The Word 5 Was SCOBA dissolved nal limitations. We have established the Orthodox tine Empire, I was told that there are only 2,000 and if so, by whom? Christian Education Commission which is chaired Greek Orthodox left. And the Turkish Govern- And when?? SCOBA by a Greek Orthodox gentleman. We have estab- ment, until now, refuses to let us open that fa- has a constitution lished the International Orthodox Christian Chari- mous Theological School of Khalki, despite the in- which is fi fty years old. If this constitution ties which is directed by Constantine Triantafi lou, tervention of the presidents of the United States. has to be amended, a very good Greek Orthodox. We have established In Iraq, hundreds of Christians were slaughtered let us then amend it the Orthodox Christian Mission Center which is and thousands had to fl ee Iraq to the Syrian Arab according to correct doing an excellent job and we have done many Republic. We are free here in North America -- procedures. No one other things which time does not permit me to free to teach, free to preach, free to worship, free can dissolve SCOBA enumerate.